Intermediate Rhingorda (Self-Mod)

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Month of Immanis in the Season of Winter, Era III

All was quiet within the desolate training hall, and little stirred aside the velvet curtains as the haphazard breeze batted them to the side. And even when they did, the windows revealed little more than the curtain of darkness that had descended upon the slumbering city of Vortex. The necromantic realm, unlike most amidst Telath, seemed to always be possessed by this shadowy blanket. Some misconceived that the darkness was omnipresent within Ariumite’s most precarious land, but these conceptions were often spread by the ignorant. Contrary to traditional belief, the Three Suns of Telath did gift Vortex with light on occasion, but as the mountains encompassed three quarters of the city, it often seemed as if the area was devoid of these golden rays. Nevertheless, if one were to inquire over the opinions of the Vortexians, they would probably have communicated that they preferred things this way.

Centered within the rectangular facility of the Fitness and Bones Academy, the Vysstichi Prince nonchalantly situated his hands upon his hips. Like many of the denizens that dwelled within Vortex, he was a dark elf. Yet, he was not akin to the majority of his people. Whereas the bulk of his race thrived beneath the surface, Faust D’Rinishad was amongst a handful that had disconnected from that appalling world and carved a place for himself amongst the light-dwellers. Though he was not always accepted, the dark elf had managed to acclimate with many of those that might ordinarily have shunned him. On occasion he had even befriended several of these light-skinned individuals; however, his list of non-Vysstichi allies was few and far between. It did not matter, though, for it was not the quantity of companions that was significant to the dark elf; it was the quality of them. And as Ioannes was his witness, Faust could boast of having several of these sincere comrades.

Perhaps it was instinctual, but the dark elf felt an exceptional affinity to those that he had met throughout his travels. His innate desire to protect them had driven the Vysstichi Lord to great lengths, not only in his pursuit of mastery of the sword, but in the magical arts as well. The Master of House D’Rinishad was far from a proficient mage, but what he lacked in arcane power, he made up with dazzling skill with a blade. There were few that could boast of weaponry mastership upon the soils of Telath, but the dark elf had succeeded in becoming one of them, though, from his slender and rather boyish appearance, one may never have been able to discern this aspect about him. Faust did not mind, however, as if often provided him with a small advantage.

Yet, despite his emerging completeness as a warrior, the dark elf was not invulnerable. He would be the first to acknowledge that there were many things that he needed to learn, concepts and techniques that would enable him to thrive in all types of situations. With a sword in hand, the Vysstichi was capable of many devastating things, and even without one, his efficiency with his wrist-bows and short blades was enough to sustain him long enough to retrieve his primary weapon. However, as he had learned all to well in instances like he had experienced in Imperia with those brutal ruffians, proficiency with one’s fists was sometimes necessary.

This was his purpose in seeking out Markener this brightening.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

"So the Prince of Har'oloth admits that even he possesses weakness."

The sound of a Vysstichi Lord's sardonic voice resonated through the air and in a pitch loud enough so that Faust would be able to discern its owner with little difficultly. Emerging at the doorway, Markener Gaveth folded his powerful arms across his muscled chest and leaned cockily against the arch of the entrance. Despite his three centuries of age, the Master of the Fitness and Bones was still a character to behold. His long white tresses, amazingly well-kept, flowed behind his shoulders and down his back. The Vysstichi's onyx skin was as dark as always, and the several scars that he had sustained from various duels were evident primarily upon his arms and even near his broad neckline. Most striking of all, however, was the intensity born in his crimson eyes. It spoke of experience, knowledge, and wisdom of ages past. Markener had not survived through nearly three hundred years by being foolish and reckless. No, above all the mercenary knew how to subsist; it was what he was good at. Perhaps this was the reason why he had constructed the academy in the first place. Regardless of many of his innate talents, fighting was what Markener was best at. Subsequently, he had wisely decided to make a living off of it for the past several decades.

Tossing his head fashionably to the side, the Vysstichi Lord approached the center of the mat until he was only a few feet across from his student. Surprisingly, Markener had never actually been gifted with the opportunity of teaching the young prince before. Zackner, the Master's son, had taught Faust as a child, but Markener himself had never been bestowed with such an experience. He was, however, bitterly reminded of Faust's victory over one of the Vysstichi Lord's own students many patterns ago. The memory of Zackner beaming at his prodigy's success was even more humiliating. With a rude snort, Markener nearly forgot what he was here for and almost landed a clenched fist in the Vysstichi Prince's nose. Fortunately, though, years of restraint had enabled him to control himself. "We both know why you are here, so I will not bother asking your purpose for seeking out advancement in the style of Rhingorda. It is a very complicated form of Zinn'ka, and thus if you are not capable of meeting my expectations then it is not likely that you'll last long. Rhingorda is not an easy method of combat, and it takes much time and hard work to become good at it." the Vysstichi Lord yawned apathetically.

"Did you know that Rhingorda was not always a cultural practice of our people? " Markener chuckled, primarily because everyone knew that the style had escalated in brutality ever since being assimilated into the Vysstichi culture. "Indeed, it was once used as entertainment for the surface nobles. How foolish does that sound?" the Vysstichi Lord laughed mockingly before shaking his head in disbelief. "Anyway, I am glad that you decided to learn from me. There are few outside of our people that can teach it so well, and therefore if you wish to know the greatest secrets that Rhingorda has to offer, you had best learn them from a dark elf. I care little for what your previous teacher taught you, not because their lessons were unrelated to Rhingorda, but because they probably paled in comparison to what I am about to teach you. When you are ready, Faust D'Rinishad, warm up, stretch out, and sprint around the perimeter of the room until I tell you to stop."

[Faust D'Rinishad]

A slight grin flickered across the Prince of Har'oloth's lips at the sight of Markener Gaveth. As a boy Faust had often admired the stalwartness of the Fitness and Bones long-time instructor, though he had never been gifted with the chance to learn from him. Fortunately for the young Vysstichi Lord, however, Markener had done a fine job of imparting his skills to his son, Zackner. It had not taken Faust very long to befriend the latter, and their comradeship had grown into a healthy relationship. And although Faust had viewed Zackner like an older brother, the time had indeed come when the Vysstichi Prince had not required his friend's teachings any longer. This had been fortunate, too, as the dark elf had been forced to seek out an alternate teacher. Fortuitously, he had traversed paths with none other than Jhael himself, the legendary swordsman from Iefferon. The Vysstichi Lord had often fancied the memories when he had gone riding with Jhael and his daughter Adria. They had, perhaps, been the most peaceful moments of his life.

"I was not aware that Rhingorda was so heavily influenced by our people." Faust lied, not because he cared to mock Markener, but rather because he knew that the Vysstichi Master would lecture him regardless of his answer. Subsequently, he had decided to humor his old friend and permit him to share his tale. In truth, Faust was not astonished by Markener's remarks concerning Rhingorda. During his time in Riparia when he had trained under the boxer named Jasper, the human had mentioned that the reason why Rhingorda had developed into such a brutal skill was directly because of the dark elves. Vysstichi, by nature, were a sadistic race, and thus it seemed only natural that everything about their culture and traditions possessed some sort of viciousness as well.

With a brief nod, the Vysstichi Lord quickly stretched out and proceeded around the perimeter of the training hall. Even as he trudged hastily across the padded mat, he could not help but be reminded of his childhood. Zackner had often encouraged him to run around the room for a warm-up, and thus to be ordered the same by Zackner's father was intriguing indeed. Nevertheless, as Faust had always been a diligent student, he did not argue but proceeded to sprint around as fast as he could. His legs, powerful and honed through years of adventuring, had little difficultly pumping across the mat. Faust's arms swung by his side, and they felt like and free for once because he no longer had to heft around the long sword that typically rested in his hands. With his tousled hair bobbing behind him, the dark elf's mind was locked in concentration.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Markener exposed a faint nod as the Vysstichi Prince proceeded around the perimeter of the training hall. Faust's diligence was conveyed through the speed of his sprint and the glimmer of determination born in his crimson eyes. As the perceived these aspects, the Vysstichi Master realized the sort of dark elf that was Faust D'Rinishad. Tales of the Prince's heroics had often filtered through the streets of Vortex, and in particular the Fitness and Bones. Warriors who had heard of the D'Rinishad's exploits continued to be enthralled, and for the first time, perhaps, Markener realized why. It was not only the Vysstichi Prince's swordsmanship that was dazzling to behold, but his sheer tenacity as well. Clearly, Faust poured every ounce of his strength into everything that he set his mind too, and it was for this reason that he typically encountered success upon success. Indeed, House D'Rinishad was fortunate to have a Prince like him at the mantle. Markener had never known Serion, nor the type of man that the former Vysstichi Lord had been. But for Faust to have praised the latter so greatly was commendable indeed.

"Stop." the dark elven instructor called out after a short duration. He waited until Faust returned to the center of the training mat and permitted him to gain his breath. By now the blood would be pumping through the Vysstichi Prince's body. Markener offered Faust a faint nod of approval. "There's no point in tiring yourself out yet. We've much to accomplish this brightening, young Prince." Markener's sarcasm lifted momentarily. Perhaps it was because Faust was now the owner of the establishment, but the Vysstichi Master did not feel as if he commanded the same amount of authority whenever Faust was around. Maybe it was because he viewed him as, well, a friend now.

"The first technique that we'll be learning is known as the Boxer's Dance. You've probably developed something similar to it through your experiences as a swordsman, but it was equally as imperative in Rhingorda. The stance enables you to maneuver around your opponent and strike from alarming angles." A slight grin appeared along Markener's lips, "And knowing your speed, it will be interesting to watch your attacks, particularly as you will no longer have the weight of a long sword in your hand to hinder you."

"We first begin with the footwork." Markener gestured for the Prince to watch as he began to bounce on the balls of his feet, switching from left to right and repeating the process several times. "For now I want you to do this until you get the feel of it. Try to shift from left to right, and never cross your feet. The last thing that you'll ever want is for an opponent to trip you up."

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Following Markener's movements with his crimson eyes, the dark elf canted his head in comprehension. He proceeded to push off the front portions of his feet, lifting into the air momentarily before landing upon the soft cushioning of the training mat. Not surprisingly, the motions were not foreign to him as he often shifted in this fashion whenever he used his swords. The art of dual wielding, something that he had become quite proficient at, demanded the constant fluidity of motion and subtle changes in speed to confuse enemies. Subsequently, it was often perceived that the Vysstichi Lord was using some form of arcana to strike from different angles whenever he combated with blades. Obviously, this was nothing more than a rumor, for the dark elf incorporated rotational footwork in his attacks.

Consequent of this, he had no difficultly bobbing from his left to right foot. Using the muscles in his calves and thighs to propel himself an inch or so off the ground, he shifted his weight from side to side as he hopped in place. Because Markener did not stop him despite his acclimation to the maneuver, Faust merely presumed that this exercise was helping him to build up his endurance and power in the legs. It would not have been an unorthodox method of training, for the dark elf had performed similar endeavors before. Nevertheless, he continued to bounce for many more minutes. Beads of sweat began to drip down his brow, more so because of the sprints that he had executed shortly ago, but they nonetheless testified to the straining in his muscles.

Faust was not surprised when Markener mentioned that it was important not to cross his feet. The Vysstichi Lord had combated a number of enemies who had made that mistake against him before, and being the capitalist that he was, the dark elf had forced them to lose their balance. This, unfortunately, led them to the points of the Vysstichi Lord's sharp blades. Nevertheless, Faust took note of Markener's advice. For now he concentrated on continuing with the Boxer's Dance.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Markener stifled a yawn with an open palm as he watched the Prince commit himself to the designated routine. The Vysstichi Lord had no doubts that Faust would be able to acquire a decent understanding of the Boxer's Dance, particularly as it conformed to the D'Rinishad's preferred methodology of combat. Dark elves by nature incorporated their speed and dexterity for swift attacks and defenses, and thus it seemed only natural that Faust be able to do so with Rhingorda as well. Although Zinn'ka was not Markener's strongest attribute, he was proficient enough at it to teach on a fairly effective level. In addition, his centuries of experience had taught him the value of being very good at all types of fighting forms. Subsequently, it was no wonder why Faust had sought him out in the first place. Masters of the combative arts did not acquire such levels of proficiency merely by sticking to one trade. No, they invested in many different forms.

"Not bad. I would commend you, but even a child could master those two steps." the Vysstichi Master shrugged sardonically and gestured for Faust to observe him once again. As Markener began to bounce on the balls of his feet, he gradually shifted and strafed to the left side, and then after several cycles he maneuvered back to the right. As he shuffled he never crossed his feet or positioned them in a way that he would lose his balance. Faust would also be able to notice the fluidity by which the Vysstichi Master moved. "The side strafes, as they are called, can help you greatly in the Boxer's Dance. Once you master them without crossing your feet, you will be able to circle your opponent much easier and swifter than you would imagine." Markener paused momentarily once he felt that Faust had been gifted with enough time to examine the specific steps.

"When you move left, place your right foot where your left would be moments after you position your left to advance. This may seem a little tricky at first, but you'll get the hang of it with time and practice. Don't be discouraged either if you trip yourself up. Most people tend to cross their feet when they try this portion of the Boxer's Dance. Don't fret if you do"

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Unarmed combat had never been the dark elf's strongpoint. He distinctly recalled the time when he had traversed paths with one Avanthar Dra'Aran, the apostle of darkness. The pair had encountered a group of gangsters along the docks of Imperia, and unfortunately they had not been the typical street-thugs that one might have expected. After disarming his opponent, the Vysstichi Lord had locked fists against one of the humans, a decision that had been a grave mistake on Faust's part. Nearly beat into submission, it was only by sheer endurance and tenacity that the Vysstichi had won the fight. Still, it had left him with a bloody face and a number of bruises that had taken cycles to heal. Smirking at the thought, Faust seemed to be inspired even further to do his best to gain proficiency with his hands.

Watching Markener's demonstration, the dark elf merely nodded. The Boxer's Dance was not too difficult a concept to learn, especially as Faust already used something similar to the rotation in his swordsmanship. Still, it was slightly different and it would take getting accustomed to as the footwork varied a tidbit. Nodding finally as he was instructed to attempt the side strafes, the Vysstichi Prince maneuvered into action. He drifted to the left first, leading with his left foot and shuffling his right after it. Faust moved in a circular motion, too, for it was the direction that he would inevitably have to travel in once he mastered the dance. After practicing it several times, he rotated the opposite way and applied the opposite steps with his feet to move right.

[Heartbreaker]

Markener watched the young Vyssie execute the footwork with as much skill as could be expected at that particular level. He knew that his student was serious about his training, and that was something to be praised in students of every art and discipline, but most especially this one.

Rhingorda wasn’t just a fighting style. It eventually became much more then that.

Nodding his head approvingly, Markener moved on with his instruction.

Now, the next thing I’m going to teach you is called a snap kick. It sounds deceptively easy…but be wary. It takes much practice to become remotely skilled at a snap kick. It’s not so much about power, but quickness. Of course, with increased speed, one gains a measure of power, but you’ll understand that better after I demonstrate.

Facing forward, Markener slowly went through the entire motion for him. Raising his right leg up so that his knee was parallel to his waist, he slowly kicked out his foot and extended fully. Then, he repeated the path of motion in reverse until his foot was back where it had started.

Don’t be fooled, Faust. It’s not easy. Lower level students make several mistakes with the technique, and I don’t want you to be one of them, which is why I’m showing you the proper form. This move is best performed from the position I just showed you. Some with try to use it on the run, so to speak, but the problem is that part of the power of the move comes from the fact that you begin in a balanced position. If you don’t start the kick from that position, you lose the power and becoming off balanced. I’ve known several Masters that could ward off an opponent’s attack just using a snap kick.

The power of the kick also comes from the surprise. It doesn’t look like it could be a very damaging hit, but its very deceptive in that area too, especially if it hits more ‘sensitive’ areas. As well, some will try to power the kick without raising the knee and striking out from that position..instead just raising the foot from the ground. While it seems that it would be proper to do that, you telegraph the kick and actually lose power in the process. It also harder to aim that way.

One more thing. Always, always, always….bend your toes back and strike with the ball of your foot. Boots are no matter in something like this. The power you will be generating is capable of breaking your toes if you don’t strike with the proper area.

Practice equals speed and power, and it is advisable to practice with both legs, although most people will favor one leg over the other.

Smiling, he stepped back and indicated for Faust to try it. Holding his hand out about waist level, he nodded his head.

Try to hit my hand. Let it be your target.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Reassured that his knowledge and execution of the Boxer's Dance was sufficient to move on, the Vysstichi Lord deposited it into his mental repertory for further use. He had already employed a similar stance in his style of swordsmanship, and this had probably been the cause for the transition of the pace of the class. Subsequently, the dark elf wiped his silver brows of the accumulated sweat and turned to Markener as the lesson continued. He was quite anxious to await the Vysstichi Master's instructions, particularly as Markener was one of the finest warriors in all of Vortex. Having befriended the elder dark elf a long time ago, Faust had not been hesitant to seek out enlightenment from the former mercenary. And although Markener was considered to be brutal and sadistic by most outsiders, Faust had come to prefer his methods of teaching.

"The snap kick..." the dark elf's crimson eyes followed his teacher's movements as the attack was demonstrated. Faust assertively noted the chain of motions that set the kick into place, particularly the elevation of the knee prior to the forward kick. Unlike other forms of Zinn'ka, which often employed variations of leg strikes, Rhingorda was fairly limited to the dark elf's knowledge. As the style revolved heavily on punching, the dark elf was grateful that he was about to add another kick to his arsenal.

He nodded shortly after the lecture was given, fully understanding the implications of each of Markener's words. Even in the basic course under Jasper in Riparia, the human had heavily emphasized the importance of not impacting with one's toes. Obviously such a collision would be equally as detrimental to the kicker as the receiver, and thus it was something that should have been entirely avoided. Before Faust performed the snap kick himself, he mentally reiterated the image of Markener carrying out the sequence. The Vysstichi Lord had initiated by drawing his leg upwards, and as he did so he swung his foot forward. Though the motions did not seem overly difficult to master, Faust knew that appearances could be deceiving. Therefore he briefly nodded when Markener informed him of its potential effects. Aside striking an enemy in the groin, Faust could discern a number of other useful applications for the attack. A sharp kick to the shin, for example, was an easy way of ending a fight.

Mustering a small amount of confidence, the dark elf situated into his balanced stance. Afterwards he drew his leg upwards and extended his foot forward in a swift kick at Markener's hand. He did not completely straighten his leg but instead brought his foot to an abrupt halt as it connected with his teacher's palm. This method had been taught to him by the Rhingorda Master of Riparia, and in truth it had enabled the dark elf to make his kicks noticeably more effective throughout his battles.

[Heartbreaker]

Nodding his approval of Faust’s use of technique already previously learned and new information, he continued on with his lesson.

Good, good. Always good to remember as you progress through any level of training, that you remember where you’ve been. Everything you learn in this level, for example, is something built upon the basic level.

Now, let’s move on to the traditional uppercut. Fighting in close quarters is not desirable, but sometimes necessary. In basic, you should have learned how to do a straight punch – the most basic punch in Rhingorda. In this level, you modify that punch and aim for the opponent under the chin. You bend your arm at the elbow and bring the blow up from below the opponent’s sight line, and strike the chin. The punch itself uses the same muscles as the straight punch, being the shoulder and back, but is just executed a little differently. Stepping into the blow is preferable, but being that you might not have much room to work with, isn’t necessary. The power is generated by your arm and back.

Stepping to his student, he performed the blow in slow motion, allowing him to see the small intricacies of the move.

The potential of the blow is rather extreme because of the area being hit, although it is rather limited as their really is only one place that an uppercut can land that is damaging, therefore only giving you one target.

Stepping away, he nodded his head, indicating that it was Faust’s turn.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Assessing the demonstration with every bit of his attention, the Vysstichi Lord nodded agreeably at Markener's remarks. Though Faust was far from an expert boxer, he knew from personal experience that even one blow beneath the chin was enough to change the tide of the battle. The Vysstichi Prince had incorporated the uppercut before, but often times he had discovered that his punch was far weaker than he would have hoped for. This was probably because he had primarily used his arm instead of working his back into the equation as well. Fortunately, Markener had presented him with the proper manner of executing the uppercut.

As he deliberated, the Vysstichi Lord could not help but wonder how else to utilize the attack. Markener had clearly stated that the uses for the upper cut were limited, but there had to be more locations than the chin for which the punch would be effective. Chewing on the lower tier of his lip, Faust supposed that if he were to dodge an overhead strike by crouching, he could deliver an upper cut between an enemy's legs on the way up. And while this was far from fair, the dark elf had learned many times that there was no such thing as an 'honorable fight', that is, if your opponent was not a comrade or friend.

In a world filled with marauders and cutthroats, one had to do whatever they could to survive.

Adopting the traditional Rhingorda stance, the Vysstichi Prince focused upon the task at hand. Bending at the arm as instructed, he stepped forward and propelled his hands upwards in a sharp thrust. As he did so he was conscious of swinging his back into it so that he could augment his power. He purposely prevented his punch from elevating too high as the designated target would ordinarily be the chin. Subsequently, it was not necessary to go much higher than he was already doing. After performing the punch several times, he switched to his right hand and practiced the same motions to get accustomed to the feel from both sides.

[Heartbreaker]

Markener watched as Faust moved through and practiced the new technique. Truly, intermediate level was an important level of training. Beyond basic, it started combining the separate elements of the art and teaching the student how to work them into their combat. He remembered learning the art and finally understanding how everything fit together.

Intermediate level was where that knowledge especially came into play. Putting everything together took time. One learned the basics in the first level, but intermediate was where things usually started making sense.

Faust had plenty of battle experience, and that boded well for him. Being able to be fluid in swordplay was very similar to being fluid in Rhingorda. Each movement sets up the next movement, being able to react off of your opponent and using their motions to set up your next series of movements….it was an entire circle of activity that was connected at the most base level. He would need to learn that to be successful in his quest to learn the art.

Good, Faust. I’m going to give you an assignment to practice, and then we will start again tomorrow. Everything you’ve learned in basic and intermediate can be utilized in sequences. The flow of moves is not unlike the pattern of flow in swordplay, so I’d like you to spend some time figuring out how all these actions can be employed together. Just practice all the moves and try to imagine how an opponent would respond. Find combinations that are comfortable for you. Sometimes just a little time thinking patterns through does wonders when the time comes when you –don’t- have time to think.

Meet me here tomorrow around the same time and we will see what you learned about yourself.

Nodding his head, he bid the younger man goodbye. He was most curious to find out what Faust would discover.

[Faust D'Rinishad]

Chain fighting, as the Vysstichi Lord had come to deem it, was virtually the ability to flow from one technique to the other. As a practitioner of the blade, Faust had developed a unique set of techniques known as the Blinding Strikes. The pattern consisted of twelve individual slashes and thrusts designed to target each of the vital points of the body with astounding speed. However, the technique would never have been crafted had he not been able to move quickly from one attack to the other. Thus in many ways Markener's request involved using a similar mentality to combine different tidbits of knowledge in the Vysstichi Lord's repertory. Constructing combinations was not too difficult a feat considering the dark elf had done so many times in his life, and with his amount of experience he also knew what worked and what did not.

"Very well, Master Markener." The Vysstichi Lord cordially replied as he was assigned with his teacher's task. Fortunately there was little for him to do here in Vortex, and thus he could allocate the majority of his time into practicing and developing new attack patterns. With the adrenaline still surging through his veins, he bowed appreciatively to Markener and departed from the Fitness and Bones. He was currently staying at his former teacher's house and thus would have the liberty of time and solitude.

Upon returning to Jhael's abode, the dark elf was quick to work. Faust proceeded with the typical Rhingorda jab, thrusting his arm forward several times to work the muscles in his shoulder and also inspire new ideas. After some time he began to incorporate a hook coming from his left hand, an attack intended to literally knock an enemy off guard or possibly unconscious by aiming at an opponent's temples. This basic three-tiered combination would be useful at keeping an enemy at bay or possibly breaking down their defenses, but Faust was certain that he could add more to the equation to make it even more effective.

The snap kick.

The technique would enable him to lure an opponent's arms upwards to defend themselves, leaving their lower halves completely open. Grinning at the thought, Faust proceeded to jab a few times, and then he followed the jab with a strong left hook. While he did so he moved forward, raising his knee as he had practiced, and then swinging it out sharply at the inside of what would have been an opponent's thigh.

Comfortable with this maneuver, the dark elf exhausted the remainder of this time into branching off of this set of attacks. He developed a few more variations as well.

The next brightening he returned to the Fitness and Bones, on time as usual. The dark elf had always been a punctual fellow, and frankly he was quite interested in receiving Markener's evaluation of the newfound combination.

[Heartbreaker]

Markener was waiting for him, working on a few things of his own in the meantime. Upon seeing Faust approaching, he nodded and beckoned him closer.

Before we discuss the assignment I gave you, I’d like to go over another move that I think would be good for you to learn. It’s called a cross block, but the variation I use is a little different then the traditional move.

Stepping back from him, he nodded.

Give me a straight punch.

Once Faust did, a pair of arms shot up from underneath the punch, catching Faust at the wrists. They changed the trajectory of the punch upwards. As his hands moved upwards though, his body moved down a little, crouching almost. The right hand twisted around to grab Faust’s right wrist, then twisting his body to the left and moving off center, to the left, and coming up along side of him. One quick push of Faust’s shoulder and he would lightly go tumbling to the ground.

Smiling as much as Markner ever did, he helped Faust back up.

The key to that particular move is continuous motion. The traditional move would have you stop when you come into contact with the other person. I adapted it so that in continuing the motion on through after contact is made, you manage to get out of the ‘danger zone’ and pull the person off center themselves using your own inertia.

Go ahead and try it, and let’s see what you can do.

Setting himself up again, he waited until Faust was ready and leveled a straight punch at his chest. As always, the first time was always at about 75% of normal speed and power, just so that the pupil could get used to the feel of the maneuver.